Professor
Christine Chism
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - This class is designed and taught entirely by TAs. There is no interrogation with the Professor whatsoever. I took this class with Vivian Delchamps. English 4WH was one of the best classes I've taken at UCLA. There are no in class exams, the required texts were enjoyable to read, and class discussions were always engaging and often profound. Participation is required, but everyone is given plenty of opportunities to speak, so it's not a competition. While this is an honors class, essays are not graded harder and the workload is very manageable. In my section, we read "Beloved," "Of Mice and Men," "The Glass Menagerie," "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," and selected poetry. At most, we had to read 150 pages in a week, but we often read much less. Grading: 10% Homework (completion); 20% Participation and attendance; 10% Paper 1 (2 pages); 15% Paper 2 (5 pages); 15% Paper 3 (4-5 pages); 20% Revised Paper 3 (6-7 pages); 10% Presentation (5 minutes, very informal).
Winter 2019 - This class is designed and taught entirely by TAs. There is no interrogation with the Professor whatsoever. I took this class with Vivian Delchamps. English 4WH was one of the best classes I've taken at UCLA. There are no in class exams, the required texts were enjoyable to read, and class discussions were always engaging and often profound. Participation is required, but everyone is given plenty of opportunities to speak, so it's not a competition. While this is an honors class, essays are not graded harder and the workload is very manageable. In my section, we read "Beloved," "Of Mice and Men," "The Glass Menagerie," "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," and selected poetry. At most, we had to read 150 pages in a week, but we often read much less. Grading: 10% Homework (completion); 20% Participation and attendance; 10% Paper 1 (2 pages); 15% Paper 2 (5 pages); 15% Paper 3 (4-5 pages); 20% Revised Paper 3 (6-7 pages); 10% Presentation (5 minutes, very informal).
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2017 - The professor is listed as Chism, but the actual person who taught my class was a TA grad student. The class was really engaging and it was small, so there was a lot of class discussion. The books we read were super interesting (Never Let Me Go, Golden Gate, etc. ) but the essays were graded kind of harshly. However, if you need to fulfill a Writing 2, this class is super interesting.
Spring 2017 - The professor is listed as Chism, but the actual person who taught my class was a TA grad student. The class was really engaging and it was small, so there was a lot of class discussion. The books we read were super interesting (Never Let Me Go, Golden Gate, etc. ) but the essays were graded kind of harshly. However, if you need to fulfill a Writing 2, this class is super interesting.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Highly recommend this class. I took it the first quarter it was offered and even completely virtual the class was super engaging and interesting. Since it's a cluster you spend a year focusing on Islam from a variety of different perspectives from some of the most knowledgeable and amazing professors on campus, and I have to say it has definitely changed the way I think about the social sciences. As a STEM major, like many others I took this class because it satisfied a lot of my GEs, but I got way more out of this class than that. To start with, the papers that I've written in this class have been some of the most interesting and unexpected, and I've been able to learn analytical skills both within and outside the social sciences that I don't think I would've learned outside this cluster and that I'll probably continue to apply beyond this class. The professors are so approachable and are always willing to help with research for your papers or your understanding of a topic. The third quarter of the cluster is also organized into small seminars where you delve into a subtopic with a small group of students and a TA (there are multiple seminars, each on a different topic, which you can chose from). I've had some of the most interesting discussions there and the small class size (it was about 10ish people) made the class way more engaging than your typical GEs. There was also a lot of focus on connections with present day issues, which also made the seminar an awesome opportunity to become more informed and aware of how the subject (and the social sciences more broadly) intersects with contemporary environmentalism, politics, science, etc., and learn things I can take with me beyond this class. There is a bit of work and reading that comes with the class, but if you stick with it it will be worth it, and you'll be proud of the diversity of what you've learned and of the work that you've produced. It's not the easiest class you'll find, but in a way the challenge made it worth it :D
Fall 2020 - Highly recommend this class. I took it the first quarter it was offered and even completely virtual the class was super engaging and interesting. Since it's a cluster you spend a year focusing on Islam from a variety of different perspectives from some of the most knowledgeable and amazing professors on campus, and I have to say it has definitely changed the way I think about the social sciences. As a STEM major, like many others I took this class because it satisfied a lot of my GEs, but I got way more out of this class than that. To start with, the papers that I've written in this class have been some of the most interesting and unexpected, and I've been able to learn analytical skills both within and outside the social sciences that I don't think I would've learned outside this cluster and that I'll probably continue to apply beyond this class. The professors are so approachable and are always willing to help with research for your papers or your understanding of a topic. The third quarter of the cluster is also organized into small seminars where you delve into a subtopic with a small group of students and a TA (there are multiple seminars, each on a different topic, which you can chose from). I've had some of the most interesting discussions there and the small class size (it was about 10ish people) made the class way more engaging than your typical GEs. There was also a lot of focus on connections with present day issues, which also made the seminar an awesome opportunity to become more informed and aware of how the subject (and the social sciences more broadly) intersects with contemporary environmentalism, politics, science, etc., and learn things I can take with me beyond this class. There is a bit of work and reading that comes with the class, but if you stick with it it will be worth it, and you'll be proud of the diversity of what you've learned and of the work that you've produced. It's not the easiest class you'll find, but in a way the challenge made it worth it :D
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2018 - Title here is misleading; should be English 70, Medievalisms (which she has taught Spring 2017 and 2018). Chism is a wonderful professor - she is very encouraging, engaging, and passionate about the material she teaches. She definitely expects participation, but the fun thing about this class is that you can make connections to contemporary culture - Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Neil Gaiman's work etc. This class is also very fluid; what she lectures on will depend on the questions you ask, although she has some loose structure in mind. That's not to say she isn't prepared. Chism definitely knows what she's talking about; it's just that the class can go in many different directions. And it really is just amazing to see how much she knows, and how she can make very relevant connections between medieval works / Lord of the Rings to our world today. The class breakdown is: 50% for 2 essays, or replace 1 essay with a presentation (she says she wants the first essay to count for less and the second one to count for more to reward improvement, so probably 20% first essay 30% second essay) 30% weekly response papers, total of 8 because they aren't due the same week essays are due (though these can be used to make up missed response papers). Length of one paragraph to one page (or more if you'd like feedback on ideas) 20% participation/attendance in lecture and section The grading for essays will be based on TA, but if you do a presentation Chism will grade you. She also grades the weekly response papers. From what I can tell, I think she is more lenient than the TAs will be. For honors students, this is probably a good class to ask for an honors contract in because she definitely wants to help and is incredibly reasonable in setting expectations for the contract. She's also understanding and gives out extensions as long as you ask 48 hours in advance.
Spring 2018 - Title here is misleading; should be English 70, Medievalisms (which she has taught Spring 2017 and 2018). Chism is a wonderful professor - she is very encouraging, engaging, and passionate about the material she teaches. She definitely expects participation, but the fun thing about this class is that you can make connections to contemporary culture - Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Neil Gaiman's work etc. This class is also very fluid; what she lectures on will depend on the questions you ask, although she has some loose structure in mind. That's not to say she isn't prepared. Chism definitely knows what she's talking about; it's just that the class can go in many different directions. And it really is just amazing to see how much she knows, and how she can make very relevant connections between medieval works / Lord of the Rings to our world today. The class breakdown is: 50% for 2 essays, or replace 1 essay with a presentation (she says she wants the first essay to count for less and the second one to count for more to reward improvement, so probably 20% first essay 30% second essay) 30% weekly response papers, total of 8 because they aren't due the same week essays are due (though these can be used to make up missed response papers). Length of one paragraph to one page (or more if you'd like feedback on ideas) 20% participation/attendance in lecture and section The grading for essays will be based on TA, but if you do a presentation Chism will grade you. She also grades the weekly response papers. From what I can tell, I think she is more lenient than the TAs will be. For honors students, this is probably a good class to ask for an honors contract in because she definitely wants to help and is incredibly reasonable in setting expectations for the contract. She's also understanding and gives out extensions as long as you ask 48 hours in advance.
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